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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. firm — decided
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pit — in a race
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. net — after costs
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. firm — steady
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. dip — to sink
  14. firm — a company
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ground — a position
  17. net — for catching
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. net — in sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pit — a hole
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pit — a fruit stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com